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04-03-2014, 11:41 AM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Cosby, Tn
Posts: 6,587
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Quote:
Originally Posted by arlinv
It's not just electrical spikes that can do damage. There is more potential from mis-wired or loose wired electrical posts at RV parks. A protector like the ones from Progressive Industries can protect from many of these issues, including low or high voltage. They come in hard-wired and portable models. I always used a portable unit until I bought the new coach, which has it built in.
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This post is exactly right. A spike or surge is not the top couple of reasons to invest in a EMS type unit. The big exposure for RVers is from hooking up to a wide variety of electric sources. Here are the big killers of electric/electronic equipment:
1. Open or floating neutral. With 50 amp service in particular you can end up with up to 240 VAC on your 120 circuits.
2. High/low voltage. Down under 105 or over about 132 can shorten life of equipment.
3. Reverse polarity.
4. Open or damaged ground.
5. Spikes/surges
Progressive industries enjoys a great reputation amount RVers. There 50amp EMS is just over $300 and is cheap insurance.
__________________
Steve Ownby
Full time since 2007
2003 Monaco Signature
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04-03-2014, 12:42 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Vintage RV Owners Club Fleetwood Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: c above
Posts: 5,525
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At the S&B there is a rod that comes down the electric wires on the outside of the house and into the ground. I was always told that was for in-case the house gets hit by a lighting Bolt, Is that not true?
Going full time next fall and its on the list of 1st things to get. My MH is sitting in the driveway and I had 30amp put in. Think I am okay or should I unhook it? Its been plugged in while at home going on 3 years?
Thank you, Tim
__________________
1982 Pace Arrow P30 454
KarKaddy SS, Toad: 2009 Genesis
Tim, Joe and Lilly too. Mpls Minn.
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04-03-2014, 12:52 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Leesburg, FL
Posts: 385
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Z714X4
It's like insurance, you don't need it until you need it.
I bought the Progressive Industries EMSLCHW50 and hard wired it myself. I didn't want another display in the coach and I simply watch it when I hook up, let it do its thing, then relax the rest of the time knowing I'm protected from under/over voltage and spikes.
I'm sure it saved me during a lightning storm in Indiana two years ago when the whole campground went dim then dark several times. My EMS went off and on about 5 times during that storm. I just sat in the front and watched without a care.
Link to mine:
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Anyone know if Monaco installed these on mid to high end coaches? I'll have to go looking and have no idea where to start...lol.
__________________
Bobby & William Mukaisu
2005 Monaco Windsor 40PST 400HP ISL Cummins
2014 Chevy Equinox LS
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
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04-03-2014, 12:53 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Cosby, Tn
Posts: 6,587
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Quote:
Originally Posted by spritz
At the S&B there is a rod that comes down the electric wires on the outside of the house and into the ground. I was always told that was for in-case the house gets hit by a lighting Bolt, Is that not true? Going full time next fall and its on the list of 1st things to get. My MH is sitting in the driveway and I had 30amp put in. Think I am okay or should I unhook it? Its been plugged in while at home going on 3 years? Thank you, Tim
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You are probably safe at home. I'm sure your electric service is properly sized and well maintained. Your pedestal is not subjected to constant plugging and unplugging. Plus the single pole 30amp is not as unforgiving to open neutral. You are short to protect yourself when you start traveling.
__________________
Steve Ownby
Full time since 2007
2003 Monaco Signature
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04-03-2014, 01:01 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Cosby, Tn
Posts: 6,587
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tricotec
Anyone know if Monaco installed these on mid to high end coaches? I'll have to go looking and have no idea where to start...lol.
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Some had an add on unit attached to the transfer switch. My '03 Signature had a small surge protector with some built in protection. I added this 3 years ago:
http://www.progressiveindustries.net/ems_hw50c.htm
It has cut power into my coach on several occasions. The biggest fault has been over or under voltage.
__________________
Steve Ownby
Full time since 2007
2003 Monaco Signature
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04-03-2014, 01:25 PM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Alexandria, VA
Posts: 242
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Are you convinced yet, Raining Star?
Mine has saved me at least a dozen times in the last two years.
Bruce
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04-03-2014, 01:34 PM
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#21
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,129
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My rig was previously owned by an electrical contractor who installed a surge protector. A Surge Guard AutoPower HW-RV 50. For some reason he left the key switch in bypass mode and I never noticed it. Due to my own stupidity, I accidentally ran 240 into the rig and burned up my DVD player, TV, and a digital voltage monitor (which started a fire, how ironic). That key switch is now firmly placed in the ON mode.
__________________
Ole and Anne Anderson, Highland, Michigan
'02 Adventurer 32V, Ford F-53, ours since 4/08,Hankooks, Konis, SeeLevel, CHF
'84 CJ-7 , 5.3 Chevy, 3" lift, 33's, Detroit Locker, Fiberglas tub, winch, hi-lift
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04-03-2014, 01:40 PM
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#22
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Arizona
Posts: 776
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HD4Mark
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I have yielded to the collective wisdom of this forum and have ordered the above model from Amazon. Thanks everybody for your feedback. Although listening to all the warnings has made the wonder if my RV is going to be safe until the suppressor arrives in a few days! ;-)
__________________
Joseph and Sandy
Arizona Sunbirds
(Snowbirds in Reverse)
Winnebago Chieftain / Ford Hybrid Toad
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04-03-2014, 01:45 PM
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#23
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 1,489
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Wow looks like you dumped the old fire extinguisher on that one I'll bet you peed your pants.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CJ7ole
My rig was previously owned by an electrical contractor who installed a surge protector. A Surge Guard AutoPower HW-RV 50. For some reason he left the key switch in bypass mode and I never noticed it. Due to my own stupidity, I accidentally ran 240 into the rig and burned up my DVD player, TV, and a digital voltage monitor (which started a fire). That key switch is now firmly placed in the ON mode.
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__________________
Mark Anderson - FMCA 351514 - NRVIA Certified Level 2 Inspector
Louisville, KY
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH
2006 Jeep Commander
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04-03-2014, 01:51 PM
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#24
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Fulltime, USA
Posts: 16,706
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Raining Star
I have yielded to the collective wisdom of this forum and have ordered the above model from Amazon. Thanks everybody for your feedback. Although listening to all the warnings has made the wonder if my RV is going to be safe until the suppressor arrives in a few days! ;-)
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BTW. Progressive Industries has a lifetime warranty. And they do quick response abd superb CS.
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04-03-2014, 02:02 PM
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#25
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Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,024
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Regarding the rod in teh ground "in case of lighetning bolt" trust me, in case of lightening bolt the odds of it making any significant difference approach zero.
There is, however, a valid reason for that rod.. Which I won't bother explaining here, for most of the US, it is history, and it is a safety issue.
Surges, Spikes and Brown outs.. Those are the issues.
Spikes are very short transiant voltage increases, on a 'scope they look very much like a spike (Long and skinny) lasting only a tiny fraction of a second.. There is a device included in the "Surge Protectors" called an MOV or Metal Oxcide Varisistor, this clips those spikes like a grinder might cut off a nail that goes all the way through the board.
Surges: Sustained higher than normal voltage.. The MOV can not handle this, and when my house got hit with one due to a power company goof.. Kind of sounded like Indepencence day down there with the MOV's popping like fire crackers. The RV Surge protectors will cut you off and thus protect you.
Brown outs.. Most of what i have in here coudl care less. but.. The Air conditioners.. A brown out means the motor is very hard to start (Like a car with the battery low) and this can cause the compressor motor to overheat and fail.. 1,000 a pop to replace the A/C.
YES, you need one.. Do you need one at home?
Odds of these issues at your house are lower.. But they are long way from zero.
__________________
Home is where I park it!
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04-03-2014, 02:09 PM
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#26
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,129
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Quote:
Originally Posted by topdownman
Wow looks like you dumped the old fire extinguisher on that one I'll bet you peed your pants.
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Rig was parked next to the house while we remodeled our kitchen. Summer storm knocked out the power and I was using the 7kw genset in the rig to power up the house, both legs of the house panel. I was in my wife's den and she said she heard something beeping. I couldn't hear it, but went outside to check. Neighbor heard it too but didn't know what it was. Turned out to be the smoke alarm. When I rounded the corner of the garage I could see the flames through the screen door of the rig. Yea, a couple quick spurts from the extinguisher put it out. It really freaked me out, as had I been downstairs in the shop, as I often was, I could have not just lost the rig, but the house which was only 4 feet away. Took me about 30 seconds to realize that when the power came on, I went downstairs and flipped the main breakers back on, but forgot to unplug the jumper from the rig to the house. That will not happen again.
__________________
Ole and Anne Anderson, Highland, Michigan
'02 Adventurer 32V, Ford F-53, ours since 4/08,Hankooks, Konis, SeeLevel, CHF
'84 CJ-7 , 5.3 Chevy, 3" lift, 33's, Detroit Locker, Fiberglas tub, winch, hi-lift
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04-03-2014, 03:49 PM
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#27
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Jamesville, NY
Posts: 296
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I'm going to jump on the bandwagon. I always use my surge protector on the road. I'm actually more concerned with low voltage on big summer outings. I also like to know my load when boondocking.
__________________
Retired Navy
2022 Forest River NoBo 19.8
2022 Honda Ridgeline
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04-03-2014, 04:02 PM
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#28
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 900
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Part of the problem in these discussions is that everyone is using the term "surge protector" which brings to mind something on a power strip at a computer to a newbie. What most of us are buying and using is a far more sophisticated unit (like the Progressives mentioned above) which check for mis-wiring, low voltages and such as others have stated.
Odds of getting zapped by a true surge... slim but does happen. Odds of some yahoo mis-wiring a campground plug, or the camper before you racking it up, or a brownout because everyone is running their air conditioners? Probably a lot higher.
Buddy once asked me why I always use my Progressive when I travel in the RV when I don't have such at home. My response was that I don't unplug my home, move it some miles, and plug it into an unknown power system every few weeks.
Just my portion of the bandwagon...
__________________
Ed & Joie
2004 Vectra 40KD
Freightliner Chassis and Cummins ISC
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